How some creationists pushed me away from christianity

[MoonLancer]

Everything is in the Bible. God gave Moses all of His plan of Salvation. Nothing was added after Moses. Only more details to explain it all better.

So you know and understand nothing of God outside the bible?

 

[MoonLancer]

I really do not like sharing personal experiences due to the fact that they can be dismissed so readily and yet they are very personal to the one that has them. Regardless, I will tell you of one instance that gave me knowledge that God cares for each of us on a very personal level.

Background: My husband and I left our lives in another state so that our daughter would be closer to extended family. We were a little concerned about starting somewhere else and had been praying about it. We were hoping that God would give us some sort of sign that we were doing the right thing. It wasn't long that we started seeing the northern lights spread across the sky. It is pretty rare in this area, in fact few people have ever seen them. Cars were pulling over to stand and watch. We thought this might be the sign we were looking for.

So jump ahead some seven years later. My husband is a painter and he and I were going to a near by town to see if he could get some art sold. I had done some sculpting as well and we were in need of cash. We had been trying to live on art and I wasn't so sure we should be. (Wasn't giving us much of an income) So we tried all the places we thought might be interested and sold a few things but it was pretty much a disappointment. My mother-in-law and husband were in the front seat, while I sat rather dejected in the back. I was asking God what we should do and I remembered for some reason the time earlier when we saw the northern lights and how we felt it was a sign. I asked God that if we were doing the right thing to show me the Northern lights again. We were just leaving a small town and so when at first I saw a red haze I questioned if I was just seeing the lights from town. I even asked my husband if he thought the sky was turning red. He said he thought it was just the lights from the town. So I sat there a few more minutes still praying and then the sky just went crazy. Red and green swept across the sky. It was incredible. I couldn't believe my eyes. The lights continued until we pulled into our driveway and then just stopped.

I have no proof of this. It is one of those things that you can dismiss, but I am being perfectly honest here. It happened.

Im sorry but this is a story that only reinforces a belief in God. This is not a story of someone gaining understanding God.

if i have made a mistake then what understanding of God did you gain by this event? What about God do you understand more? What did you learn? Can you describe God in more detail now?

*fixed typos*

 

[Non sequitur]

Im sorry but this is story that reinforces your belief in God. This is not a story of someone understanding God.

if it is and i am wrong, what understanding of God did you grain by this event.

I, myself, have always found anecdotal evidence or proof lacking...

 

[MoonLancer]

I, myself, have always found anecdotal evidence or proof lacking...

Yes. I do not think any information was learned about God in this story which is what asked for.

When people say that by doing X they gain more Understanding of God, Is it wrong of me to expect something from that word?

If i gain more understanding of a person, it should mean i know more about them, and i should be able to convey what i know to another.

I hope this is not a case of abusing words.

 

[Jazer]

So you know and understand nothing of God outside the bible?

Everything I learn about God is confirmed by the Bible and the experience of others who know Him.

 

[MoonLancer]

Everything I learn about God is confirmed by the Bible and the experience of others who know Him.

So an atheist who reads the bible knows God as much as any Christian?

If that's the case then knowing God doesn't attest to anything useful with regard to Christianity, am i right?

 

[underheaven]

This is the strangest thing I think I have ever heard. Satan doesn't know who God is? That goes completely against Scripture.

Thank you for that.
I have studied widely,but although I have working knowledge of the bible,
I probably have less knowledge than I should have,and I was thrown by what I would say was
a totally heretical interpretation of satan etc .
There are obviously subtle differences in individual interpretation,but this
is totally of the beam.
For me satan was an angel who was given powers of 'intellectual' knowledge which
led him to believe that he could 'take over' God's
power. This incomplete knowledge is that of of the left hand brain
which can only analyse,what is already created,mainly the material
world ,and all atheists suffer from this lack of access to God and
Creation which can only be accessed through letting go of the
control materialists need ,and following the 'path' which Christ has
set out for us.I think Paul did a lot of damage by being to legalist
left handbrained.
When satan [lucifer]poisoned the minds of those willing to follow him
[ r.dawkins is the perfect example of a lucifer figure] because the
materialistic route can be the easiest to take up as it is shorter
and instantly satisfyinghe brought about a crisis in creation,which is mirrored at
this time in history.
God has always maintained total control over all of His Creation but
He allows us to either save ourselves or to destroy ourselves,and during
critical periods [like now] we are faced with a choice,to give in to
belief without knowing everything or perish.[re. Thomas]
I will explain further in time if anyone is interested.
I am rather tired of giving my pearls to 'swine 'who spit them out.
The level of soul on 'board seems higher than most.
I have some 'stuff'for the atheists who are honest,but not yet.
They need to read the 'evangelists' first.

 

[underheaven]

Im sorry but this is a story that only reinforces a belief in God. This is not a story of someone gaining understanding God.

if i have made a mistake then what understanding of God did you gain by this event? What about God do you understand more? What did you learn? Can you describe God in more detail now?

*fixed typos*

What she is saying is that when you have pleased God enough,when you create a relationship
with Him,when you have loved [purelove] enough
'miracles' happen when you ask for them.
The bottom line is that atheists are not doing what they need to do to
And although life gets better and easier for true believers,we can never become
too complaisant.We need to entretian notre jardin.

 

[AV1611VET]

Do gods disappear when there is a war on?

There are no atheists in foxholes.

 

[AV1611VET]

So it's fear that makes people religious?

Speaking for Christianity, I would say some respond to the fear factor, some respond to the love factor, but all respond to the call of the Holy Spirit for salvation.

 

[British Bulldog]

Speaking for Christianity, I would say some respond to the fear factor, some respond to the love factor, but all respond to the call of the Holy Spirit for salvation.

Salvation from hell. Fear again. It's fear all down the line. Tell a fundamentalist that hell doesn't exist and they get much more worked up than if you tell them heaven doesn't exist.

 

[Ar Cosc]

There are no atheists in foxholes.

Outreach & Events

Although I'm not surprised you take this proverb as 100% literal. Incidentally, I've about twelve birds in a bush outside my window. Want to trade them for six birds you can put your hands on right now?

Speaking for Christianity, I would say some respond to the fear factor, some respond to the love factor, but all respond to the call of the Holy Spirit for salvation.

Apart from the 4 billion people in the world who aren't christian.

Or should I say, the 6.999 billlion people in the world who don't subscribe to your particular brand of christianity.

 

[AV1611VET]

It's fear all down the line.

Please don't project your fears on to us; I'm not buying it.

 

[AV1611VET]

Apart from the 4 billion people in the world who aren't christian.

All respond to the call; be that response a YES or a NO.

 

[Ar Cosc]

All respond to the call; be that response a YES or a NO.

So how did you respond to Allah's call? What about Vishnu's?

 

[Greg1234]

So how did you respond to Allah's call? What about Vishnu's?

You woukd first have to determine if it corresponds with the source, or an emegent deific agency and/or personality. In the end, the quoted names stand only as alternate titles for that same being and force.

 

[Ar Cosc]

You woukd first have to determine if it corresponds with the source, or an emegent deific agency and/or personality. In the end, the quoted names stand only as alternate titles for that same being and force.

So you're saying Muslims and Hindus worship the same god as you do? What about Scientologists? Are Thetans just another word for your God?

 

[British Bulldog]

Please don't project your fears on to us; I'm not buying it.

I'm not the one whose principle concern in life is saving his own hide from hell.

 

[Oncedeceived]

There is plenty of evidence that he was aware of his surrounding when he wrote that post, so unless you have reason to believe that something has suddenly changed...

What evidence is there that he was aware of his surroundings when he wrote that post?

 

[selfinflikted]

An absence of belief is agnosticism. A belief that there is no God is atheism. This is not a 'negative belief in God'. It is a positive belief in the non existence of any deity, and in our society particularly in the received Judeo Christian God.

Just to briefly clear this small misunderstandin up (yes, it's a nitpick):

Agnostic: Thinks that knowing a god (exists) is impossible.

Atheist: Lacks belief in god(s). ("Strong atheism" could make the positive statement that "there is no god", but most of the atheists you'll find here are "weak atheists" who don't make that positive statement ((myself included))).